Welcome to Dr. Critchlore’s School for Minions, the premier trainer of minions for Evil Overlords everywhere. No student is prouder to be at Dr. Critchlore’s than Runt Higgins, a twelve-year-old werewolf. (At least he thinks he’s twelve. He was abandoned at the school as a baby, so he can’t say for sure.) Runt loves everything about Dr. Critchlore’s. He loves his classes—like History of Henchmen and Introduction to Explosives. He loves his friends—like Darthin the gargoyle and Syke the tree nymph. And he loves his foster family, who took him in when his wolf pack couldn’t.

But not everyone loves Dr. Critchlore’s as much as Runt. After a series of disasters, each worse than the next, it’s clear that someone is trying to shut the school down. It’s up to Runt, who knows the place better than anybody, to figure out who’s behind the attacks . . . and to save his home, and Dr. Critchlore himself, from total destruction. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review courtesy of the publisher.

Review:

This book was great! It was a fun coming-into-self (I don’t say coming-to-age because he’s a little young for that) story as Runt struggles trying to become who he wants to be at school. The characters in the book are fantastic. I love that each of their unique aspects are portrayed as a matter of fact and how their perceptions interact. In some ways this book reminds me of “Hotel Transylvania” in that the book is telling the “other side” of the typical story.

The mystery in the book is also quite complex. Often with a middle-grade book I can anticipate where the book is going, but there were still plenty of twists and turns for me! Highly recommended for both kids and kids-at-heart.

Rating: 5 stars!

Who should read it? Anyone looking for a fun story with interesting unique characters.

Want to read the whole series?

Dr. Critchlore’s School for Minions: Gorilla Tactics (Dr. Critchlore’s School for Minions #2)